Pitana’s path from film extra to final referee
moscow — Argentine Nestor Pitana’s roundabout route to becoming a World Cup final referee has taken in work as a film extra and as a security guard at a disco as well as a spell playing basketball at regional level.
The 43-year-old from the small sub-tropical province of Misiones will become the second referee after compatriot Horacio Elizondo to officiate at both the opening match and final after being picked for Sunday’s match between France and Croatia.
At 1.92 metres tall (6ft 3in), Pitana is a physically imposing figure who, having learned his trade in the cut-and-thrust world of Argentine domestic football, does not take to being bullied by angry players.
“Pitana is as strong as a rock,” Pierluigi Collina, the head of Fifa’s refereeing committee, told Argentine media at the start of the tournament.
“He won’t allow himself to be taken in by the players’ protests and demands.”
According to the statistics on website Transfermarkt, Pitana has refereed 347 professional games, shown 1,658 yellow cards and 108 red cards and awarded 81 penalties since his debut in 2007.
Like any referee, he has not avoided being caught up in controversy. In a league match in April, he failed to see the Estudiantes goalkeeper had been unable to keep the ball in play while trying to prevent a corner and seconds later awarded Chacarita a penalty. —